Fiber-separating machine.



M. E. PARKS.

FIBER SEPARATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED PERM, 1913.

' Patented May 5, 1914.

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Mvdmel fk5 ATTORNEYS i MMM M. E. PARKS.

FIBER SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED FBB.24,'1913.

1,095,921 Patented May 5, 1914.

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ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH CO..W.\SH1NGTON. D. C.

Michael E.P0rks M. E. PARKS.

FIBER SBPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED EBB.24, 1913.

Patented May 5, 1914.y

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nvm/rle M .ch @el E. Parks ITOHNEYS n sTATns Bann MICHAEL EDWARD PARKS, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PAUL H. LUCKETT, 0F EL PASO, TEXAS.

FIBER-SEPARATING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MICHAEL E. PARKS, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of lVatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented a newV and Improved Fiber-Sepa rating Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a fiber separating machine of that type in which the entire cleaning or separating of the fibers from the plant stock can be done in one operation, and it relates particularly to a machine of that type in which the separating or cleaning elements travel faster than the feed crushing rolls, but slower than the drawing rolls at the delivery end of the machine, so that the butt end of the plant stock can be effectively acted on by the separating elements, the separating elements being coacting endless devices which carry the various tools to remove the bark, pulp or other matter from the fiber. which plant stock is commonly known as Spanish dagger, although other plants found in semiarid regions may be employed.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve the construction and operation of machines of this character so as to be highly efficient in operation, composed of few parts, and at the same time light and portable, so that they can be conveyed from eld to field where the fiber plant grows.

Another object of the invention'is the employment of a novel arrangement of combs, Scrapers and brushes which act on the fiber in a manner to eectively remove the pulp and bark.

Another object is the use of a simple and novel arrangement of scraper which is designed to automatically adapt itself to produce a scraping action on the fiber while the latter is relatively stationary and the scraper moves, or while the scraper is relatively stationary and the fiber is moved.

Another object is to provide combs on the separating elements, which combs mesh with respect to each other, but the teeth of one comb will intermesh with the teeth of the other comb without, however, being in contact, so that the teeth of the combs will eectively split or open the fiber, while at the same time comb the same to remove the pulp from portions thereof, .the Scrapers act- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led February 24, 1913.

Patented May 5, 1914;. Serial No. 750,216.

ing in conjunction with the combs serving to remove the pulp from the remaining porf tions of the fiber.

vWith such and other objects-in view the invention comprises various novel features of construct-ion and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention,` Figure l is a side view of the machine with portions broken away to better illustrate the action of the separating devices; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a transverse' section of the machine; Fig, 4 is adiagrammatic view of the feed and drawing rolls and the endless separating devices; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the intermeshing arrangement of the teeth of meshing combs; and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views showing a scraper in its different positions.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the frame of the machine, which frame may be of any desired construction, and in a large portable machine for field use the frame may be mounted on wheels for easy transportation. At the feed end of the machine are upper and lower feed and crushing rolls l and 2, to which the fiber plant is fed in any suitable manner, the upper roll being mounted in adjustable bearing boxes 3, so that any desired degree of crushing action on the stock may be obtained. The rolls are driven by meshing gear wheels 4, of which only one is shown, the lower gear wheel deriving power from a pinion 5 driven in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by a belt 6 and pulley 7. At the discharge end of the machine are upper and lower drawing rolls 8 and 9, which draw the separated'fiber out of the separating or cleaning devices B and B. These rolls 8 and 9 are positively driven at the same speed by meshing gear wheels 1QV on their respective shafts, and power is supplied to the drawing rolls by a train of gear wheels 1l between the lower separating or cleaning device B and the lower drawing roll 9, it being understood that the lower separating or cleaning device receives its power from the driving pinion 5 at the front end of the machine. The frictional engagement of the drawing rolls with the fiber can be adjusted by raising and lowering the journal boxes 12 of the upper roll 8.

Each separating device B or B comprises a pair of endless chains 13 spaced apart and passing over sprocket wheels 13, which are arranged in pairs on shafts 1K1. To each pair of chains are fastened combs 15, brushes 16, Scrapers 17 and scraper bars 1S. The chains of each separating device rotate at the same speed, so that the combs, brushes and scrapers will maintain a transverse relation with respect to the path of the iiber, and, furthermore, the endless separating devices B and B run at the same speed by reason of meshing gear wheels 14', and are maintained in such position that the brushes and combs of the device B will be directly opposite to the brushes and combs of the device B. The scrapers 17 on one endless separating device are alternated with a scraper block 1S, and in this manner the scrapers of one separating device will be directly opposite a scraper block or bar on the other device, so that the block or bar forms a support coacting with the edge of the scraper and traveling with the latter in order that an effective scraping on the fiber can take place.

A particular feature about the combs is that they not only mesh, the combs of one endless device with the combs of the other, but the teeth 19 of one coacting comb are in intermeshing relation with the teeth of the corresponding comb, which arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 5, but the teeth of the coacting combs are not in contact, so that there is no danger of the fiber being caught between the adjacent teeth and breaking. The tips of the comb teeth are not so sharp as to cut the liber, but they will effectively open and comb the fiber. These combs operate to remove considerable of the extraneous matter, such as the green pulpy substance around the fibrous portion of the plant stock, this removal of the pulpy matter being mostly from the sides of the stalks which have been first crushed by the feeding rolls 1 and 2 at the front of the machine. The coacting scrapers and scraper blocks operate on the rest of the stock, that is, the top and bottom, to also remove the green pulpy matter, and whatever pulpy matter remains is taken oft by the brushes of the devices B and B, which brushes also mesh. The upper separating device B is adjustable toward and from the lower separating device by adjusting the bearing blocks 20, and in this matter the extent of meshing of the brushes or combs can be regulated to eifect a light or heavy brushing or combing action.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, it will be noted that the scrapers 17 are pivoted at 21 on base member-s 22 fastened to the chains 13, andn each scraper has a pair of eppositely-acting stiff springs 3, which tends to maintain the scraper in a perpendicular position and centrally engaged with its scraper bar 18, as shown in Fig. 6. By means of the oppositely-acting springs 23 the scraper blade can yield to one side or the other, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, according to Whether the scraper is moving relatively to the liber or the liber relatively to the scraper; that is to Say, the scrapers are inclined to the left in Fig. 1 while they move with respect to the moving liber at the front part of the machine, but are inclined to the right while the fiber moves with respect to the moving scrapers at the rear end of the machine, and in both positions the scrapers have an effective scraping action on the fibers, and it will be understood that the scrapers automatically move from one scraping position to the other during their travel.

In Fig. 4, the endless separating elements B and B are shown with coacting clamping elements in the form of rubber bars 21, or equivalent means, which serve to grip the liber stock from above and below in order to help to carry the fiber'stock along with the cleaning tools.

The machine is especially adapted for cleaning plant stock in which the plants grow from a few inches to four and iive feet in height, the plants having a thin bark all around and green pulp around the fiber, and by the arrangement of combs, scrapers and brushes, as herein shown and described, the bark and pulp of such plants can be eilectively separated from the fiber, and by reason of the fact that the fiber stock is drawn from the separating elements B and B faster than the travel of the latter, the butt ends of the plant stalks are cleaned or separated, so that only one operation on the plant stock is necessary.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages of the method of operation and of the apparatus shown will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A separating machine including endless elements, combs on the elements arranged in meshing relation and with the teeth of one comb intermeshing with the teeth of another comb and out of contact, brushes arranged on the elements in meshing relation, scraping blades on the endless Cri elements, and scraping blocks arranged on the elements in opposite relation to the scraping blades.

2. A separating machine including a traveling scraper on one side of the material being treated, a traveling scraping block on the other side of the material, and means for mount-ing the scraper to yield to either side of a perpendicular position to the block whereby the scraper in one eXtreme position drags on the material and in the other eX- treme position the material drags on the scraper.

8. A separating machine including a traveling scraper, means for pivotally mounting the scraper, opposing springs acting on the scraper, and an element traveling with the scraper and or' suoli Width as to support the liber throughout the range of pivotal movement of the scraper.

et. A machine of the class described comprising stock feeding and crushing rolls, an endless element having a surface speed greater than that of the rolls, drawing rolls having a greater surface speed than the said endless element, pivotally-mounted Scrapers on the elements, means for permitting the scrapers to yield in opposite directions, and blocks on the endless elements cooperating with the scrapers. V

5. In a separating machine, a plurality of coacting endless separating elements having meshing combs, brushes, Scrapers and scraper blocks, and yielding clamping members.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

MICHAEL EDWARD PARKS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD W. CARROLL, Evnmir'r A. CHICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 2D. C. 

